I stopped dead in my tracks. I was in the middle of hastily cleaning my house. Amidst an ocean of strawberries, chocolate, flour, and butter, I desperately tried to organize. Flourishing through, I quickly made piles, tidied messes, and checked my mental to-do list. You see, I am engulfed in a wonderfully messy season. I have three beautiful children who are four, three, and six months, I run a business, maintain a household, and frequently bite off more than I can chew. It's in my nature, I'm a helper and a doer.
My most recent undertaking is organizing a fundraiser for my husband's upcoming medical mission trip to Kenya. This was a God project, He lead it and blessed it. We are so thankful. But, somewhere in the busyness of the last few weeks (or months?) I have taken my eyes off the prize. I was swept up in the coordinating, constructing, working, parenting and became totally exhausted and overwhelmed.
So, I tossed my toddler's dirty socks in the laundry room and spun around, mind set on the next task. That's when I saw it, it felt like a smack in the face. Stuck on the pantry door was a small sticker that said "Love God". I hadn't seen it before, undoubtedly Suzanna or Jonah brought it home from church. But there it was. Two simple words: Love God. One task. One declaration. A beautiful reminder. A startling question. Am I doing that? Am I fulfilling this holy commandment in my hustle and bustle? The intent behind most of my actions is good; BUT, as I carry them out - Am. I. Loving. God. It's OK to be busy, do good things, and have a life. But while doing these wonderful things, I must never allow any of it to overshadow or forget to simply LOVE GOD.
My house is messy, my kids sometimes skip bath nights, dinners aren't always home-cooked. It's OK. It is OK. Jesus isn't going to ask what brand couch I had, or how clean I kept my floors. He's going to want to know: how did I love? Did I obey God? Did I obey God out of sheer love for Him?
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